Asia

Corruption in India

The season that never ends

THE denial by Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister, sounded categorical. He claimed, on March 18th, that no one in his ruling Congress party, nor in his government, had paid any bribes to opposition MPs to get support in a crucial vote of confidence, in 2008. Yet the opposition parties in India's parliament, on both the left and the right, were furious over the issue, disbelieving him, calling for him to resign and lamenting that “shame” had been brought upon India's reputation.

There's plenty of shame to go around. The corruption saga bedevilling politics in India has reached another extraordinary stage. The latest fuss follows the publication this week, by the Hindu newspaper, courtesy of WikiLeaks, of details of a cable transmitted by American diplomats in 2008. Apparently the Americans were told by someone in the Congress party that chests filled with cash, some $25m, stood ready to be spent on swaying the votes of opposition MPs, to help ensure the confidence vote would be won. The American interest was acute: the vote had been called over efforts to pass a bill on nuclear power, which was seen by many on the left in India as a sop to potential American investors. To the Americans—and to India's rulers—the bill was vital, part of a deal between the two countries which would allow a big expansion of much-needed civilian nuclear power plants in India. As important, it enshrined much warmer relations between America and India, which infuriated India's Communists, and some others.

Mr Singh's government has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals and is struggling to come up with any effective response. In the course of a few months, rows have erupted over graft in the Commonwealth games in Delhi, a property scandal in Mumbai, and the appointment of an anti-graft commissioner, P.J. Thomas, who had been charged himself for corruption. (Mr Thomas has been forced to step down, by the Supreme Court.) Most striking, however, is a telecoms scandal, over the dubious sale of 2G spectrum, in which the minister in charge, A. Raja, allegedly forfeited some $39 billion in potential revenues. Mr Raja was sacked and then arrested. His close assistant, Sadhick Batcha, was found dead this week, apparently the result of suicide.

All this is taking a heavy political toll. Mr Singh looks burned out. No one suggests he is personally corrupt—indeed he is very widely respected as a liberalising force—but he seems unable to get a grip on problems around him. If there were an obvious, strong and clean individual waiting to replace him as prime minister, Congress might now be getting ready to engineer a change. Mr Singh is 78 years old and is widely expected to have left office before the next election, scheduled for 2014. But Congress seems unwilling to act now. Rahul Gandhi, the young leader-in-waiting, shows little appetite yet for the job. In any case, the high command of the ruling party probably prefers to keep the scion of India's ruling dynasty as unblemished by the grind of daily politics as is possible, before the general election. An interim leader is possible, perhaps Pranab Mukherjee, the finance minister, but it is not clear that he would be any better than Mr Singh at fending off the opposition's allegations of graft.

Instead the ruling party has a strategy of hoping for the squalls to pass. A series of important state elections are pending in the next few weeks, and Congress—despite the corruption woes—is hoping to do well, especially in West Bengal and Kerala, at the cost of the left-wing parties. At the same time, Congress hopes that the Communist parties and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be unable to co-operate for long. In the background, most voters may yet be more concerned that the economy keeps galloping, now at a rate of 9% GDP growth. Yet his mounting political problems guarantee that these will be gloomy days indeed for Mr Singh.

A political party that prides itself as the 'grand old party' of 125 years of political predominance in India, should NEVER have dabbled in this type of 'skulduggery'.

Congress party has had a 'dirty tricks' department since Narasimha Rao's time, when a regional party's M.P.s were bribed to support the Congress government against a 'No-Confidence' motion.

This diabolical party is now acting through dubious allies such as the DMK, which spawned 'Spectrum Raja', and a few others such as Lallu Prasad Yadav of 'fodder scam' fame.

At other times, it gets the Congress Bureau of Investigations, previously known as the Central Bureau of Investigations, to mess up cases against corrupt politicians and officials.

The death of a key witness against Spectrum Raja, Sadhik Bacha, many Indians think, was not a mere accident or a suicide. The death may have been part of 'professional advice' received in squashing the entire 2G spectrum prosecutions - the same way the Bofors prosecutions were eventually grounded down.

But the nuclear deal was good for India, so few leftist MP's were bought with $25 million. I think it was a good deal. That amount of money in cash is just too good to leave. Left has only won elections in the state of West Bengal for last 25 years, and no surprise that WB has remained a backward state till now.

It was Indian sources - the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the General Accounts Committee of India's Parliament, the Indian Media, Dr. Subrahmaniam Swamy and the Indian Supreme Court - that have dug deeper to expose the 2G scam and the Adarsh beach apartment scams.

That exposure and India's Supreme Court orders do not indicate to me that India is a 'failed state'. The ultimate sanction for the 'con-greatest' party will come in the next General Elections.

'GS-US' - Yes, India is still in the third world. I cannot recall anyone of stature claiming 'India's standards are better'. We all know that a free democratic system has room for abuse and immoral behaviour. But, given time, that sort of behaviour will be controlled but NOT eliminated for ever.

You then go on for some stereo-typing about Indians abroad being 'corrupt'? One 'Enron' does not determine standards of US Corporates, or does it in your view? Every barrel of apples has a few rotten ones. Yes, this season we have had news of Rajat Gupta, Raj Rajaratnam (Sri Lankan) which should concern Indians because it coincides with reports of these scams in India - merely reinforcing the sort of impression you have formed. I understand that.

But, it is important to expose every corrupt individual, no matter what nationality or stature. That is all what we can all expect. India is waging that war of attrition right now. India's scale is large. Therefore, it would take time to get some results. But the battle has been joined by many Indians against these charlatans and kings and queens of corruption.

Since Dr.Manmohan Singh , always likes to quote the example of Caesar's wife, he should not have any hesitation in getting the matters straight and the public should be cleared of any lingering doubt. But, at the same time, the Opposition should be willing to face any any inquiry and should answer various hints made to them in other leaks messages. Every day, the leaks which we do not know whether they are doctored or appear verbatim ,contain many damaging remarks on all and sundry. Gossips between any two persons totally unconnected cannot be given much weightage. It is a little odd that a person organising a bribery attempt will discuss the matter with anyone , more so with a diplomat of another country. Further, all the persons names in the message, seem to be completely denying the matter.

As an Indian citizen I salute the USA administration in not denying the issue unlike our UPA government.Our head is hanging in shame in view of our glorious past and ourselves declaring the largest democracy!We shall await many more such outcome.

Indians are not of a higher standard than the rest of the 3rd world. Graft, corruption and their caste system have given a small group of educated people enormous power and influence; but they are still a product of their own decrepit society.

Their transgressions and prejudices are common in the subcontinent (outside of India), Europe and now America.

It's funny how the article conveniently forgets to mention Mr.Modi as a great potential to replace Mr.Singh. Out of all the candidates (and looking at the progress of Gujarat under his rule), he is the only one who has the capability to tackle the main issues plaguing the country. On a broader point of view, as long as there are caste, regional and religious based politics, the country cannot truly progress forward.

The economist seems to have a really simplistic view on Indian politics branding Congress as secular (more like pseudo secular) and other parties like BJP, Hindu nationalist. Indian politics do not fall so neatly into black and white categories like those in Europe or USA.

Mr. Singh's personal reputation as an uncorrupt liberalizing force seems to be one of the key things keeping the corruption in the Indian government from becoming a major political issue to the people, and a growing GDP certainly helps to quell the many complaints that would otherwise be at the forefront of political concern. However, with Mr. Singh due to step down before the 2014 election, these problems will likely resurface since the young leader-in-waiting seems unwilling to take on such a cumbersome job. Though the scion of India’s ruling dynasty wants to keep Mr. Singh and the future Indian Prime Ministers apart from the widespread corruption, perhaps the focus should be on not only containing the present corruption, but eliminating it as methodically as possible. It will be hard, of course, but it shouldn't be impossible, and the integrity of the government seems to stand on it.

I see that some (Indians?) are taking exception to India being described as failed state. They may be correct, India is not a failed state -- yet.

But it is fast approaching there. I think Indians (as opposed to India government) should not hesitate in approaching US/Europe and other advanced countries to help bail us out. The problem here is as serious as in Libya or Egypt, except that it is covered in a false cloak of democracy.

Most of the scams coming out today is a result of freer media, accessability of information and increased transparency of the government brought about by the RTI. God knows what all would have come to surface if the BJP had the 'balls' to bring about the RTI during their rule in the late 90's to early 2000's.

Also to be noted here is that, most of the corruption mentioned above, are not done by the 'grand old party', which according to some that has apprently lost its integrity, but by its allies, which was brought into the ruling government due to coaltion compulsions in the first place.

End of the day, the UPA, NDA or the third front, and even the fourth front are all equally corrupt. But I think, the fact that such instances of graft are coming to surface, is a good thing.

This puppet--I dont Know Prime Minister should be thrown out by the Indian President using any available means....He is covering up all corruption and scandals every day...soon he will ask what is Bofors?
Shame .Disgrace PM for poverty India.

Who says he is honest? when they expose Spectrum and Commonwealth games
poveryt Indians will know how involvement of this sardar..never elected to to the Parliment but selected by foreign woman for YES MADAM work.

Still poverty Indians are not realising the danger in handling a country to a foreign woman.